


Comfort

by thefishismine



Category: Red Dwarf
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Panic Attacks, Pre-Slash, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-15
Updated: 2016-03-15
Packaged: 2018-05-26 23:22:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6260140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefishismine/pseuds/thefishismine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lister tries to comfort Rimmer during a nightmare-induced panic attack.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Comfort

**Author's Note:**

> I originally intended for this not to turn into slash but it kind of leaned that way. Oh well.

He was being chased by something. He couldn’t see what it was, but he knew it wasn’t good. He could hear its deep, growling breath drawing closer. In an attempt to outwit it, he rounded a corner and ran smack into a wall. He fell to the floor whimpering in pain. The creature’s shadow darkened his body as it slowly loom over him. Its face was mostly teeth and two menacing, glowing red eyes. He couldn’t breathe. This was the end…

Rimmer felt a hand on his shoulder and he let out a yell as he sat bolt upright in bed. Lister staggered back, a bit surprised by his bunkmate’s reaction. 

“Rimmer, relax. It’s only me.” 

Rimmer looked wildly around the room, still whimpering. His chest ached and he found it difficult to draw in a full breath. Lister cautiously tried approaching him again.

“You were having a nightmare,” he said softly. 

“Can’t…breathe…” Rimmer panted out, placing a hand on his own chest.

“Just…try to take it easy.” Lister slowly sat down on the end of the bunk. He knew his bunkmate was prone to panic attacks but he had never had to talk him out of one before. Usually Rimmer went into another room to calm himself down. He wasn’t sure he knew what to say. 

“Rimmer? Can you look at me?” He turned his head to meet Lister’s gaze. He was pale and visibly shaking, still gasping for breath. Although he was looking at him, his eyes were vacant, as if they were focusing on something miles away. Seeing Rimmer this frightened gave Lister an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach. 

“I want you to focus on breathing, okay? Watch me and do what I do. Can you handle that?”

Rimmer nodded ever so slightly. Lister inhaled deeply. He saw Rimmer do the same. He held it for three seconds and exhaled. Rimmer followed. He repeated it a few times, making sure Rimmer was following his lead. It seemed to work because he wasn’t shaking anymore and his breathing was returning to normal. 

“See? It was only a dream. It’s not real. We’re on Red Dwarf, everything is alright.”

Rimmer nodded once more. Lister placed a gentle hand on his back for reassurance. “You okay now?”

“I think so…” Rimmer whispered. 

“Good. Try to get some sleep.” Lister moved to get up and felt a hand on his wrist.

“Don’t…please don’t go.” Rimmer shyly stared down at his blanket. 

Lister sighed and sat back down. He knew they would both wake up in the morning and pretend like none of this ever happened. But for now, Rimmer was feeling vulnerable and Lister was a bit lonely. 

Lister slid in next to Rimmer. He pressed his back against the wall and draped an arm across Rimmer’s chest. He heard Rimmer sigh and he smiled to himself. He missed this. It didn’t matter who it was, there was just something he loved about sharing a bed with someone else. He allowed himself to be lulled to sleep by the sound of Rimmer’s breathing. In the moments between consciousness and sleep, Lister could swear he felt a warm hand reach up and close firmly around his.


End file.
